Laban Pursues Jacob

Genesis 31

Jacob, following a command from God, secretly departs Paddan Aram. It is interesting to note that Rachel sneaks into Laban’s tent and steals his household idols before fleeing, leaving one with the impression that Laban worshipped multiple gods.

When Laban catches up with Jacob seven days later, he limits his anger after having a dream in which God appears. But he wants his idols back. Rachel, smart girl that she is, sits on them while he searches her tent. But why does she want his idols?

When Laban searches and is unable to find the idols, Jacob finally loses it, and unleashes all of the bitterness and frustration of the last 20 years against Laban. His response is actually kind of surprising, considering the past: he suggests making a covenant of peace, and together they create a pile of stones that acts as a border between Laban’s home and Jacob’s. Laban calls it Jegar Sahadutha, Aramaic for “witness heap”. Jacob names it Galeed, Hebrew for “witness heap” (even here the two remain divided, unable to use one name for the covenant).

Here is commentary from around the web:

From Christnotes.org:

God can put a bridle in the mouth of wicked men, to restrain their malice, though he do not change their hearts. Though they have no love to God’s people, they will pretend to it, and try to make a merit of necessity. Foolish Laban! To call those things his gods which could be stolen!

A slightly more thought-out response, from Bible.org:

Jacob seems to have come away from this encounter with Laban as the unchallenged winner, but die he really? While Jacob may have convinced himself and his wives of his innocence, he has not convinced us, nor has he changed the mind of Laban. Laban was still certain that Jacob was a crook, but being warned by God, he could do little to stop him. The treaty which he initiated was his only hope. And that treaty was not tribute to Jacob’s character.

Finally, Jacob’s actions here remind me that one may be doing the will of God but in a way that is offensive to the character of God. God had commanded Jacob to leave Paddan Aram and return to the land of promise. In this sense Jacob was doing God’s will for his life. But he was not doing the will of God in God’s way.

The only problem with this last commentary, is that not once does God chastise Jacob for his actions. Why?